JP7671617B2 - Cooking equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooking device, and in particular to a cooking device suitable for impregnating ingredients with seasoning liquid and cooking them under low pressure.

Various types of cooking appliances for baking food have been known for some time. For example, in Patent Document 1, in order to provide a baking device that can reduce dirt during operation, is easy to clean and inspect, and has good energy efficiency, it is configured as follows: "A baking device that uses superheated steam to heat objects to be heated, comprising a superheated steam generating device that generates superheated steam and a baking chamber in which the objects to be heated are baked by the superheated steam, a conveying device that moves the objects to be heated inside the baking chamber, an upper electric heater is provided above the conveying device inside the baking chamber, the superheated steam generating device is disposed below the conveying device, a drip receiving section is disposed below the side of the conveying device, and at least a part of the baking chamber has a structure that allows the interior of the baking chamber to be opened."

In addition, in Patent Document 2, for the purpose of obtaining a cooking device that can suppress smoke generation in the cooking chamber and can efficiently heat while ensuring the height inside the cooking chamber, it is described as having a "cooking chamber having an intake port and an air outlet port provided below the intake port and opening on the front side, a cooking chamber door that can be freely opened and closed to cover the opening on the front side of the cooking chamber, a pair of door opening/closing means provided on each of a pair of opposing side walls of the cooking chamber and that slide the cooking chamber door, an upper heating means that heats the inside of the cooking chamber from above, and a heating means provided in the cooking chamber and heating the object to be heated. The cooking device is configured as "a cooking device comprising a cooking dish to be placed on the cooking chamber, a blowing means for drawing in air from the cooking chamber through the intake port and sending the drawn-in air from the exhaust port into the cooking chamber, a circulating air heating means for heating the air drawn in by the blowing means through the intake port, and a control means for controlling the operation of the upper heating means, the blowing means, and the circulating air heating means, the width dimension of the cooking dish being smaller than the dimension between the pair of opposing side walls of the cooking chamber and larger than the dimension between the pair of door opening and closing means."

Furthermore, in Patent Document 3, for the purpose of providing a cooking appliance that can automatically prepare enzymes for processing ingredients, the appliance is configured as "a cooking appliance having a housing, the cooking appliance comprising: a storage chamber for storing ingredients; a pressure control means for controlling the pressure within the storage chamber; a temperature control means for controlling the temperature within the storage chamber; an enzyme storage means for storing an enzyme for processing ingredients; a preparation means for receiving the enzyme sent from the enzyme storage means and preparing an enzyme aqueous solution containing the enzyme; an enzyme introduction means for introducing the prepared enzyme aqueous solution into the storage chamber; and a separation means provided inside the housing and for separating the enzyme aqueous solution in the storage chamber from the ingredients."

JP 2020-192237 A Patent No. 06214739 Patent No. 06084752

According to the above patent documents, it is possible to create a cooking device that satisfies the respective issues. However, Patent Document 1 cooks food on a conveyor using heated steam, so the device becomes large and does not perform low-pressure cooking (vacuum cooking). Patent Document 2 is a convection oven for a fish grill on an induction cooking heater, and although the device can be made small, it does not perform low-pressure cooking (vacuum cooking). Patent Document 3 performs low-pressure cooking using enzymes, but the device becomes large and is equipped with tubes, solenoid valves, and waste liquid containers for enzyme switching, which increases the amount of washing up and may cause cleanliness issues. Furthermore, it is not possible to brown food.

In contrast, the present invention aims to provide a cooker that can complete the process of impregnating ingredients with seasoning liquid and baking them inside a small cooker and can be easily removed to ensure cleanliness.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a cooking device for cooking food, the cooking device comprising: a container housed inside an outer case formed into a box shape by a lid and a bottom cover; a tray housed inside the container on which food is placed; lifting means for lifting the tray up and down; and a heater in at least one of the lid or the bottom cover , the lifting means comprising a drive motor located on the outer case outside the side wall of the container; a lifting gear located on the outer case outside the side wall of the container and rotated by the driving force of the drive motor; and a lifting disk that is located inside the wall in a semicircular recess formed in the container, is magnetically coupled to the lifting gear across the opposing side walls of the container, rotates in response to the rotation of the lifting gear, and lifts the tray up and down, characterized in that the tray is positioned below to impregnate the ingredients with seasoning liquid, the tray is positioned above to lift the ingredients from the seasoning liquid, and the tray is positioned below to place the ingredients in a state where they are impregnated with the seasoning liquid, and the seasoning liquid is stirred.

The cooking device of the present invention can provide a cooking device and a control method thereof that can ensure cleanliness by completing the process of impregnating ingredients with seasoning liquid and baking them inside the small cooking device and easily removing it. Furthermore, the process of impregnating ingredients with seasoning liquid and baking them under low pressure can also be completed inside the small cooking device of the present invention.

In particular, with this invention, the cooking process is completed within a single cooking vessel, so there is less washing up to do, and the number of vessels is also reduced, allowing the volume of the device to be reduced.

1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an assembled configuration of devices stored in an outer box. FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a tray 6 stored in the container. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the tray 6 being moved up and down. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing components of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a processing flow in a controller 13. 4 is a time chart showing a processing flow. 4 is a diagram showing a flow of a series of processes in a cooking appliance control method that utilizes cooking appliance 1 described in Example 1. FIG. A figure showing an example of a seasoning liquid stirring process in the seasoning liquid impregnation stage (second stage). FIG. 13 is a time chart showing a process flow in the third embodiment. FIG. 12 is a time chart showing the tray position at each stage in FIG. 11 . FIG. 13 shows an example of a tray 6 suitable for stirring seasoning liquid. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example in which the distribution of openings 6d of the tray 6 is biased toward the end portion. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example in which the distribution of openings 6d of the tray 6 is biased toward the end portion. A diagram showing cooking using precipitated seasoning. A diagram showing cooking using precipitated seasoning. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which a temperature sensor is provided on the tray 6; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which a temperature sensor is provided on the lifting disc. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which a non-contact temperature sensor is mounted on the inner surface of the lid of the main body.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

In the following examples, a cooker and a control method thereof according to the present invention are specifically described, in which a seasoning liquid containing additives such as seasonings and enzymes can be impregnated into the food by applying low pressure to the container containing the food, and the temperature can be kept appropriate for the enzyme reaction, and the seasoning liquid can be drained by raising the tray on which the food is placed, and the food can be grilled using a heater on the top. Specifically, the configuration of the cooker is described in Example 1, and a control method for the cooker is described in Example 2. Furthermore, Example 3 describes how to improve the temperature unevenness of the seasoning liquid from the viewpoint of eliminating the temperature gradient of the seasoning liquid in the container, in particular the seasoning liquid, in Example 4, a tray structure suitable for carrying out Example 3, in Example 5, temperature management inside the container of the cooker, and in Example 6, control using the temperature in the height direction is described.

In Example 1, the configuration of a cooking device according to the present invention will be described.

Figure 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, cooking device 1 is mainly composed of an outer box 2 in which a lid 2a and a lower cover 2b are rotatably connected by a rotation joint 2c, a container 4 (vacuum container) stored inside the box-shaped outer box 2, a tray 6 stored inside the container 4, a lifting means 5 for raising and lowering the tray 6 up and down, and a heater 3 attached to the lid 2a, for example.

In the illustrated example, the heater 3 is installed only on the lid 2a, but as a variation, a lower heater may be added to the lower cover 2b side. Also, it is preferable that the top heater 3 on the lid 2a side is provided on the inside of the lid 2a, but it may also be provided on the outside of the lid 2a and configured to transfer heat.

The space constituting the cooker 1 also contains functions such as a controller that forms a vacuum inside the outer box 2 and executes the steps of the control method of the present invention. Therefore, although not shown in FIG. 2, the cooker 1 has the components shown in FIG. 6 in terms of its overall function. In addition to the equipment shown in FIG. 1, the cooker has a vacuum pump 11, a controller 13, a temperature sensor 14, and an interface machine side 15, but most of these are contained within the space formed by the lid 2a.

The interface unit side 15 of the cooking appliance 1 is wirelessly connected to an interface 16 such as a smartphone or a wireless LAN such as a WiFi router, allowing the start to be controlled from outside, such as a smartphone, or the set temperature can be displayed on the smartphone, and information such as the remaining time and the end of cooking can be displayed on the smartphone, making it possible to monitor the operation from outside. Note that the control and monitoring functions of the interface 16 in the illustrated example may be performed by the cooking appliance 1 itself.

Figure 2 shows an example of the assembled configuration of the equipment housed in the outer box. The outer box 2 houses the main components, a container 4 (vacuum container), a tray 6, and a lifting means 5. Here, the lifting means 5 are arranged on both opposing side walls of the container 4, and house the tray 6 inside the container 4 and lift the tray 6 inside the container 4.

Each of the two sets of lifting means 5 on both side walls is composed of a lifting motor 5a, a lifting gear 5b, and a lifting disk 5c. The lifting motor 5a and the lifting gear 5b are positioned on the outside of the opposing side walls of the container 4 in a manner fixed to the outer box 2, and the lifting gear 5b rotates by the driving force of the lifting motor 5a through a mechanical connection. On the other hand, the lifting disk 5c is positioned on the inside of the opposing side walls of the container 4, and is connected to the lifting gear 5b by an attractive force F due to magnetic coupling. For this reason, the lifting disk 5c is provided with multiple magnets m2 and the lifting gear 5b is provided with multiple magnets m1 in the same number, and are magnetically connected across the opposing side walls of the container 4, and the lifting disk 5c also rotates without contact as the lifting gear 5b rotates. Note that two lifting disks 5c and two lifting gears 5b are arranged inside and outside both side walls.

Two sets of semicircular recesses 40 are formed on the inner side of each of the opposing side walls of the container 4, and the lift disk 5c is fitted into each of the semicircular recesses 40. Therefore, when the lift disk 5c is abutted into the semicircular recess 40, it is fixed in position by the attractive force F between the magnet m1 attached to the lift gear 5b and the magnet m2 attached to the lift disk 5c, and becomes rotatable. The lift disk 5c is provided with a tab t. The tab t is formed at a position away from the center of the circular lift disk 5c. Therefore, the position of the tab t is positioned on a circular orbit relative to the center of the lift disk 5c as the lift disk 5c rotates.

In this example, magnets are placed on both the lift gear 5b and the lift disk 5c, but one of them may be a magnet and the other may be made of iron, etc. Essentially, it is sufficient that the rotation of the lift gear 5b can be transmitted to the lift disk 5c in a non-contact manner using magnetic force.

An enlarged view of the tray 6 stored in the container 4 is shown in FIG. 4. The tray 6 has a configuration in which multiple semi-cylindrical portions 6a and multiple valley-shaped portions 6b are arranged alternately in parallel to the opposing side walls of the container 4 in which the lifting means 5 is arranged, and when viewed from the direction A, which is a direction perpendicular to the opposing side walls of the container 4, the semi-cylindrical portions 6a and the valley-shaped portions 6b are shaped as shown in the figure. In addition, a tab hook portion 6c is formed at the end of the tray 6, and the tab hook portion 6c and the tab t are engaged. Since the position of the tab t is set at a position away from the center of the lifting disk 5c, the tray 6 itself is moved up and down in response to the tab position moving up and down on a circular orbit due to the rotation of the lifting disk 5c.

The tray 6 has such a structure that the multiple valley-shaped sections 6b prevent food from falling, the semi-cylindrical sections 6a allow liquid to flow easily, and the left and right ends shown in the figure are designed to hook onto tabs t of the lifting disk 5c. This alternates between a semi-cylindrical shape that allows liquid to fall to the left and right, and a valley shape that stabilizes food, and a certain amount of surface area is also ensured, preventing food from falling apart and achieving grilled marks like those on a grill.

Figure 3 shows the configuration after assembly. As is clear from Figure 2 and other figures, the order in which the parts are set is as follows: first, the container 4 is set in the internal space of the outer box 2, then the lifting disk 5c is abutted against the semicircular recess 40 of the container 4, and the tray 6 is set inside the container 4, completing the assembly into the shape shown in Figure 3.

It is clear that this structure allows for easy disassembly and assembly, which means that cleaning of these parts can be easily performed, improving cleanliness. It can also be made compact.

Figure 5 shows how the tab hook 6c and tab t are engaged, and how the tray 6 itself moves up and down as the tab position rotates and moves up and down due to the rotation of the lift disk 5c. As the initial state is shown at the top, this is the assembled state of Figure 3 in which the tray 6 is stored in the container 4 after the lift disk 5c has been fitted with the tab t in contact with the semicircular recess 40. At this time, the tab t is positioned below the tab hook 6c.

The middle part of Figure 5 shows a mid-rotation stage, where when the lift gear 5b rotates due to the driving force of the lift motor 5a, the attractive force F caused by the magnetic coupling of magnets m1 and m2 acts, causing the lift disk 5c to rotate in the opposite direction. At this time, the position of the tab t attached to the lift disk 5c also rises while rotating, lifting the tab hook portion 6c with which it is engaged, and as a result, lifting the tray 6. The bottom part of Figure 5 shows the relationship at the topmost position of the tray 6 after rotation.

According to the cooking device 1 of the first embodiment described above, the process of impregnating ingredients with seasoning liquid and baking them under low pressure can be completed inside the small cooking device, and the cooking device can be easily removed, ensuring cleanliness.

In the above example, two sets of lifting means 5, and therefore four sets of lifting discs 5c, are used to lift and lower the tray 6 while keeping it horizontal, but it is also possible to tilt the tray by varying the amount of lift on the left and right. Or, when making teriyaki, the tray can be immersed in seasoning liquid and then grilled in a lifted state several times.

In Example 2, a method for controlling a cooking appliance using the cooking appliance 1 described in Example 1 of the present invention will be described.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing a series of steps in a control method for a cooker that uses the cooker 1 described in Example 1, and illustrates a series of processing steps using the tray 6 lifting/lowering means 5, which is a unique structure in the cooker 1. Note that cooking using the tray lifting/lowering means 5 can be used for "baking" and "steaming." Baking is illustrated in Figure 9.

In Example 2, the heater 3 includes an upper heater 3a attached to the lid 2a, as well as a lower heater 3b attached to the lower cover 2b, and the seasoning liquid contains enzymes to cook the ingredients until they become soft. The temperature sensor 14 is attached inside the lower cover 2b, and comes into contact with the container when it is stored to measure the container temperature.

In stage A of this process, the container 4 and the tray 6 are set in the lower cover 2b. In stage B, the food material (e.g., meat) 30, enzymes, and seasoning liquid are put into the container. In stage C, the pressure inside the container is set to, for example, a vacuum (0.6 atm), and the food material is impregnated with the enzymes. By cooking with enzymes, the food material 30 can be softened by quickly decomposing the tissues of the food material 30. For example, by using protease, which is a protein decomposing enzyme, the food material 30 such as meat or fish can be softened. In stage D, the lower heater 3b is energized and used to maintain a low temperature (e.g., 40 to 60 degrees) to create an environment in which the enzyme reaction can easily proceed. The temperature at this time is detected by the temperature sensor 14 attached inside the lower cover 2b, for example, the temperature of the container 4. The temperature at this time is a temperature at which the enzyme used is likely to react, and it is preferable that the temperature can be set appropriately depending on the type of enzyme. For example, if meat or fish is used as the food ingredient 30 and protease is used as the enzyme, the optimum temperature for enzyme activity is between 40 and 60 degrees, so the lower heater is controlled to maintain the temperature inside the container 4 at between 40 and 60 degrees. Note that because enzymes become inactive at high temperatures and are unable to promote the decomposition of the food ingredient 30, the temperature inside the container 4 is controlled to maintain a certain temperature range so that it does not become too hot.

In stage E, the tray 6 is raised in the container 4 using the tray lifting means 5, which is a unique structure of the cooker 1, and the seasoning liquid is drained off. In the case of baking, electricity is applied to the upper heater 3a attached to the lid 2a and baking is performed using this. When steaming is performed in stage E, the tray 6 is raised in the container 4 using the tray lifting means 5, which is a unique structure of the cooker 1, and the process is the same as the baking process up to the point where the seasoning liquid is drained off, but in the case of steaming, electricity is applied to the lower heater 3b attached to the lower cover 2b, and the steaming process is performed using the evaporation temperature and pressure of the seasoning liquid. After that, cooking is completed in stage F after a specified processing time has elapsed.

Figure 7 shows the process flow when the above process is executed by the controller 13 in Figure 6. The process in Figure 7 is performed using the calculation unit of a computer, and in the first process step St1, the container 4 and tray 6 are stored in the outer box 2, ingredients are placed on the tray 6, and seasoning liquid is poured over them.

In process step St2, the lid 2a is closed and cooking begins, and with the tray in the lowered position, the vacuum pump 11 is started and vacuum drawing begins. In process step St3, it is confirmed that the pressure inside the container 4 has reached the set pressure, and if it has not, vacuum drawing continues in process step St4, and when it has, the process moves to process step St5. It can be confirmed that the vacuum has reached the set pressure by checking the output of the pressure sensor, but more simply, it is also possible to proceed by assuming that a vacuum has been reached when the time during which vacuum drawing has been performed reaches the set time.

In process step St5, the pressure inside the container 4 is returned to normal pressure when the vacuum is completed, the lower heater 3b is energized, and when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 14 reaches the set temperature, keeping the food warm at the set temperature begins. In process step St6, it is confirmed that the keeping time has reached the set time, and if the time has not been reached, the process returns to process step St5 to continue keeping the food warm, and when the time has been reached, the process moves to process step St7. Note that in this case, it is desirable to be able to variably set the keeping time depending on the thickness of the food material 30, the amount of food material, the type of enzyme, etc.

In process step St8, the baking process is carried out until a set time has elapsed, and once that time has elapsed, cooking is determined to be complete in process step St9.

Figure 8 is a time chart showing the flow of the above process, which is divided into four stages. The first stage S0 is when the ingredients are placed on the tray and preheated by pouring seasoning liquid over them, and represents the preparation stage of reducing pressure and preheating the lower heater with the tray in the upward position. In the second stage, the container temperature detected by the temperature sensor is maintained at T1, and the ingredients are soaked in the seasoning liquid. In the third stage, the tray is lifted and the inside of the container is heated in preparation for grilling, and in the fourth stage, grilling is carried out.

In Example 3, a cooker that can improve the temperature unevenness of the seasoning liquid by utilizing the cooker 1 described in Examples 1 and 2 of the present invention is described. In this Example 3, a cooker is provided that allows people with reduced chewing ability to enjoy meals.

When considering people with reduced chewing ability, it is necessary to ensure that the entire food item is uniformly soft. One issue is that if there is a temperature gradient in the seasoning liquid, the heating history will be different between the top and bottom of the food item, which will change the finished product. It is also important to consider that there is a specific temperature range in which enzymes are most effective.

For this reason, in Example 3, during the series of baking steps in Figure 8, the container temperature detected by the temperature sensor is maintained at T1, and the seasoning liquid is stirred in the second stage (stage D in Figure 9) in which the ingredients are soaked in the seasoning liquid.

In this case, various stirring means are conceivable. These specific stirring means include those that apply vibrations to the container and those that utilize ultrasonic waves, and the means are not limited here. However, as a practical solution, since the tray 6 can move up and down, it is practical to use the movement of the tray 6 for stirring. The movement of the tray 6 may be such that the entire tray moves up and down uniformly, or it may be such that when one part moves, the movement differs from the movement of the other parts, in a manner similar to that of a portable shrine.

Figure 10 shows an example of the seasoning liquid stirring process in the seasoning liquid impregnation stage (second stage). Figure 10 shows how the tray 6 is controlled to be raised and lowered intermittently to eliminate temperature unevenness of the seasoning liquid in the container when heating and keeping warm in the second stage.

Here, the heater 3b contacts the underside of the container and transfers heat, so the solution is heated from below, and convection occurs, making the temperature inside the container closer to uniform; however, because the tray 6 and ingredients 30 are present in the solution, convection may be difficult to occur. This may result in uneven temperatures in the seasoning liquid and ingredients, leading to inconsistent cooking results, excessive heat transfer, and partial overheating. Therefore, while the container is being heated and kept warm, the tray 6 is repeatedly raised and lowered, and control is performed to stir the seasoning liquid, thereby reducing uneven temperature. It goes without saying that the mechanism in Figure 5 can be used to raise and lower the tray 6.

Figure 11 is a time chart showing the flow of the process, which is divided into four stages as in Figure 8, but is the same as in Example 1 except for the second stage S1. The first stage S0 is the state in which the food is set on the tray 6 and preheated by pouring seasoning liquid over it, and represents the preparation stage of reducing pressure and preheating the lower heater with the tray in the upper position. In the second stage, the container temperature detected by the temperature sensor is maintained at T1, and the food is soaked in the seasoning liquid. At this time, the tray is repeatedly raised and lowered to stir the seasoning liquid and reduce temperature unevenness inside the container. In the third stage, the tray is lifted and the inside of the container is heated in preparation for grilling, and in the fourth stage grilling is performed.

Figure 12 is a time chart showing only the tray position enlarged at each stage of Figure 11. In the first stage S0, ingredients are placed on the tray 6 and seasoning liquid is poured from above to preheat, and this represents the preparation stage of reducing pressure and preheating the lower heater with the tray positioned upward.

In the second stage, the container temperature detected by the temperature sensor is maintained at T1, and the ingredients are soaked in the seasoning liquid. At this time, the tray position is repeatedly raised and lowered at a constant width B1. In this example, the width B1 is set so that the ingredients and tray are not exposed to air, and are repeatedly raised and lowered in the seasoning liquid. Also, in order to reduce splashing of the seasoning liquid when the tray operation switches from rising to falling, the rising speed is set slower than the falling speed. If the seasoning liquid is highly viscous, splashing is less likely to occur, but stirring is also less likely, so the rising and lowering width B1 must be made larger and the tray operation speed must also be set faster.

Furthermore, in the case of ingredients with a density close to that of the seasoning liquid, the food may move around on the tray due to the water flow caused by the raising and lowering of the tray, so the tray movement speed is set to be slow. The tray speed may be determined according to the cooking course selected by the user, or may be determined according to the weight by installing a sensor that measures the weight of the container. Furthermore, the weight and viscosity of the seasoning liquid may be detected from the load of the lifting motor 5a when the tray is raised and lowered.
In the third stage, the tray is lifted and the inside of the container is heated for baking, and in the fourth stage, baking is carried out.

In Example 4, a tray structure suitable for carrying out Example 3 will be described. Compared to the tray 6 illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 described in Example 1, the structure of Example 3 is advantageous when considering mixing. Note that the application of the mechanism for raising and lowering the tray is exactly the same as in Example 1.

Figure 13 shows an example of a tray 6 suitable for stirring seasoning liquid. Here, many holes 6d are formed in the tray 6 to better stir the liquid. Stirring is possible with the tray of Example 1, but because the liquid passes only through the gap between the tray 6 and the container, it is difficult for the liquid to be exchanged between the top and bottom of the tray 6. Also, depending on the viscosity of the liquid, the tray position may become unstable, causing problems such as uneven distribution of ingredients or food getting caught in the gap between the tray and the container. For this reason, in this example, the openings 6d are evenly arranged on the tray 6, giving it a shape that allows water to easily pass through the tray 6.

Figures 14a and 14b show examples in which the distribution of openings 6d of the tray 6 is biased toward the ends. According to Figure 14a, if the openings 6d are concentrated toward the ends (up and down in the figure) with respect to the center, when the tray 6 is submerged in the seasoning liquid, the water flow MI from the openings 6d of the tray 6 behaves as if it gathers in the center after passing through the openings 6d at the ends, as shown in Figure 14b. Due to this action, if the ingredients 30 are biased toward either end on the tray 6 (left or right in the figure) as shown in Figure 14b, the ingredients 30 will move according to the water flow MI, and the bias of the ingredients on the tray 6 can be eliminated.

Figures 15a and 15b show cooking using seasonings that have settled. If the water flow is weak, seasoning c1 that settles will settle to the bottom of the container 6 as shown in Figure 15a. In contrast, by raising and lowering the tray and stirring the seasoning liquid, it is possible to stir the seasoning c1 that settles from the bottom of the water as shown in Figure 15b, and to finish cooking by mixing it well. If you want to mix more seasoning c1 that settles onto the ingredients, you can make small movements near the bottom of the water, stop for a certain period of time, and then raise it at a slow speed to start the finishing step, which will cause seasoning c1 that settles onto the ingredients 30, and allow more seasoning c1 to mix with the ingredients 30 for finishing.

In Example 5, we will explain how to manage the temperature inside the container. The temperature inside the container described here is the temperature inside the container detected as the temperature in the vertical direction. Specifically, it is the vertical distribution of the seasoning temperature, and is suitable for temperature management that can estimate whether the heat inside the container is distributed evenly and the container environment is free of unevenness in the ingredients, such as the temperature difference between the ingredients and the surface of the seasoning liquid.

In this case, there are several methods for measuring the temperature in the height direction, and one idea is to install a temperature sensor in a part that moves in the height direction. Figure 16 shows an example in which a temperature sensor and a temperature sensor information wireless transmission unit are integrated into a temperature detection unit S101 on a tray 6. The temperature detection unit S101 is composed of the temperature sensor S101, a microprocessor that acquires information from the temperature sensor and performs appropriate noise processing as the temperature sensor information wireless transmission unit, a wireless transmission unit, and a battery that serves as the power source for the microprocessor and the wireless transmission unit.

In addition, a temperature sensor information wireless receiver is added to the container 1 body in FIG. 6 to transmit temperature information measured on the tray 6 to the controller 13, and the temperature information is transmitted wirelessly after measuring the temperature of the tray 6. Since the temperature sensor can be immersed in the solution, it is possible to measure the temperature with high accuracy, enabling temperature control with minimal temperature unevenness.

Figure 17 also shows a temperature sensor installed in a part that moves in the height direction. Figure 17 shows an example in which a temperature sensor and a temperature sensor information wireless transmission unit are integrated into the lifting disk 5c as a temperature detection unit S102. The temperature detection unit S101 is composed of the temperature sensor S101, a microprocessor that acquires information from the temperature sensor and performs appropriate noise processing as the temperature sensor information wireless transmission unit, a wireless transmission unit, and a battery that serves as the power source for the microprocessor and the wireless transmission unit.

In addition, a temperature sensor information wireless receiver is added to the container 1 body in FIG. 6 to transmit temperature information measured on the tray 6 to the controller 13, and the temperature information is transmitted wirelessly after measuring the temperature of the tray 6. Since the temperature sensor can be immersed in the solution, it is possible to measure the temperature with high accuracy, enabling temperature control with minimal temperature unevenness.

Another approach to measuring the temperature in the height direction is to keep the temperature sensor itself fixed and move the non-measurement side up and down, resulting in information that can be used in the height direction. Figure 18 shows a non-contact temperature sensor mounted on the inside of the lid of the main body. In order to control the temperature of the ingredients with higher accuracy, a non-contact temperature sensor S103 can be mounted on the inside of the lid and used to directly measure the temperature of the ingredients and use it for control, improving the accuracy of the temperature.

A non-contact thermometer, such as one used for radiation thermometers, can be used. If you want to measure only the temperature of the ingredients, raise the tray to expose the ingredients from the seasoning liquid and then measure. If you want to measure the temperature of the seasoning liquid, lower the tray so that the non-contact temperature sensor can detect the temperature of only the surface of the liquid. If you want to cook frozen ingredients while thawing them, you can prevent heat from passing only through the surface of the ingredients by alternately measuring the temperature of the seasoning liquid and the temperature of the ingredients.

In Example 6, control using the temperature in the height direction measured by the temperature sensor in Example 5 is described. For example, when the temperature difference in the height direction in the seasoning liquid is large, there is a risk of temperature unevenness occurring due to differences in the degree of overheating of the ingredients caused by the temperature difference. This can be improved by varying the lifting speed or the number of lifting and lowering repetitions in FIG. 11.

In the case of Figure 18, the temperature difference between the temperature at the surface of the seasoning liquid and the temperature measured when the food is raised is also equivalent to measuring the temperature difference in the vertical direction, and in this case too, improvements can be made by varying the lifting speed or number of lifting and lowering repetitions in Figure 11 according to the temperature difference.

1: Cooking appliance 2: Outer box 2a: Lid 2b: Lower cover 2c: Rotating joint 3: Heater 4: Container 40: Semicircular recess 5: Lifting means 5a: Lifting motor 5b: Lifting gear 5c: Lifting disk 6: Tray 6a: Kamaboko section 6b: Valley section 6c: Tab hook section 6d: Opening 11: Vacuum pump 12: Vacuum container 13: Controller 14: Temperature sensor 15: Interface machine side 16: Interface F: Suction force m1, m2: Magnet t: Tabs S101, S102, S103: Temperature sensor

Claims (11)

A cooking device for cooking ingredients,
The food processor is provided with a container that is stored inside an outer box formed into a box shape by a lid and a bottom cover, a tray that is stored inside the container and on which food is placed, a lifting means that raises and lowers the tray, and a heater in at least one of the lid or the bottom cover,
the lifting means is composed of a drive motor located on the outer box outside the side wall of the container, a lifting gear located on the outer box outside the side wall of the container and rotated by the driving force of the drive motor, and a lifting disk located on the inner side wall of the container in a semicircular recess formed in the container, magnetically coupled to the lifting gear with the opposing side walls of the container sandwiched therebetween, rotating in response to the rotation of the lifting gear, and lifting the tray up and down;
The tray is positioned below to impregnate the food with the seasoning liquid, and the tray is positioned above to lift the food from the seasoning liquid,
This cooker is characterized in that the tray is positioned underneath so that the food is impregnated with the seasoning liquid, and the seasoning liquid is stirred. The cooking device according to claim 1,
A cooking device characterized in that the tray is moved up and down to stir the seasoning liquid. The cooking device according to claim 2,
A cooking device characterized in that, when the tray is moved up and down in the seasoning liquid, the ascending speed is slower than the descending speed. A cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A cooking device having an opening on the floor surface of the tray. The cooking device according to claim 4,
A cooking device, wherein the opening in the floor surface of the tray is located at an end of the tray. A cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A cooking appliance comprising a temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature in the vertical direction of the container. A cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A cooking appliance comprising a temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature in a solution. The cooking device according to claim 7,
The cooking appliance is characterized in that the temperature sensor is provided on the tray and transmits measured temperature information via communication means. The cooking device according to claim 7,
The temperature sensor is provided in the lifting means, and transmits measured temperature information via communication means. The cooking device according to claim 7,
The temperature sensor is a non-contact temperature sensor provided on the top of the container, and is characterized in that it measures the temperature of the surface of the seasoning liquid and the surface temperature of the ingredients when the ingredients are lifted. A cooking device according to any one of claims 8 to 10,
A cooking device characterized in that the stirring speed or stirring time when stirring the seasoning liquid is adjusted using information on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

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